Freakish Super Rugby No.8 could play for England
He qualifies for New Zealand, Fiji, England and played most of his life in the backs. Yet a few years after making the transition to the back of the scrum, Hoskins Sotutu is being dubbed an All Blacks No 8 in waiting.
Witnessing the Blues’ continued resurgence during Super Rugby Aotearoa it is impossible to miss Sotutu’s blond-haired presence often leading the charge alongside captain Patrick Tuipulotu’s pink tips.
The 21-year-old, in his first full Super Rugby campaign after debuting late last season, has kept talented teammate Akira Ioane out of the No 8 role with a series of captivating performances, and now seems destined to crack the All Blacks squad later this year.
Blues forwards coach Tom Coventry is far from alone in being impressed by his No8 who returned from lockdown to deliver personal bests in the bench press, squat and aerobic testing.
New Fiji coach Vern Cotter is understood to be hopeful of luring Sotutu and if All Blacks coach Ian Foster doesn’t come calling, England may yet try their luck.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4yGATgadF/
Whatever colour the jersey, test rugby beckons.
“Last year, we were critical of some of those things so he’s got the bit between his teeth. He understands he needed to change and he has,” Coventry says. “We’ve given him an opportunity early in the year to impress. We trusted him and he has taken that chance.
“He’s a catalyst for the change in our squad and the Blues fortunes.”
Sotutu has made the most tackles (27) — jointly with Blues flanker Dalton Papalii — and the most carries (22) by any forward in the New Zealand derby competition.
Although those stats signal vastly improved work rate and support play, it’s his silky skills that have tongues wagging.
Last week in Hamilton, as the Blues secured their first away win over the Chiefs since 2011, Sotutu scored from close range and then sealed victory in challenging conditions with a superb cutout pass off his left hand to put Mark Telea in.
It was no fluke. Earlier in the year, when the Blues defeated the Waratahs in Sydney, Sotutu sent Telea over with a deft grubber kick.
While harnessing the abrasive attributes required from No 8, Sotutu’s range of skills were honed at Sacred Heart College where he played in the backs until Year 12. His father, Waisake, who as vice-captain led Fiji to the 1999 World Cup, played on the wing for Auckland from 1991-97 and the Blues in 1996, naturally had a key role in nurturing his son’s talents.
From the confines of isolation, Hoskins Sotutu and I spoke about his impressive season with the @BluesRugbyTeam. #SuperRugbyhttps://t.co/pWOhi1kKJm
— Tom Vinicombe (@TomVinicombe) March 26, 2020
“I started off on the wing because, you know, Fijians are wingers,” Sotutu tells the Weekend Herald this week. “I think I got a little bit slower and bigger so the coaches decided to chuck me in the forwards and see how I go and I’ve stayed there.
“My dad helped me with those sorts of skills growing up. We’d get out on the field and kick the ball to each other and if I did a bad kick he’d probably keep me there until I got it right.
“It’s funny for him now though — he’s a back and he’s trying to tell me what to do in the forwards. When I was younger it was all right but now it’s like ‘you’re a winger buddy’.
“I’ve always been able to pass off both hands all right so being in the backs probably helped.
“I like the forwards here because within our structure a lot of loose forwards get space to run with the ball. You’re in amongst the action all the time as well.”
Sotutu is born and raised in New Zealand but he knows a decision on his test eligibility looms.
“Whatever is next will come. I’ve got my dad’s Fijian heritage and that Kiwi side and my mum is English as well so I can qualify for an English passport.
“When the decision comes it will come easy but for the moment I’m just focusing on the Blues.
“I’m still learning. I’m taking this as my debut season and trying to find my feet and keep working on my craft.”
There is a danger in building prodigies up too soon but, in the case of the All Blacks, there is also a desperate need for a No 8, with Kieran Read’s test retirement leaving Ardie Savea the only established replacement.
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Coventry chuckles as he recalls the Blues considering Sotutu to fill in the backs when injuries hit last year but there are no jokes predicting his rapid rise to the All Blacks.
“Having three choices is pretty cool but I like to think he’s an All Black in the making,” Coventry says, echoing the thoughts of many.
“In New Zealand, we’re pretty good at knowing when we’ve got talent available and ready to play. There is no set formula. We all see it.
“I’m not a big fan of making guys wait too long. You get them on the grass when they’re in good shape it doesn’t really matter about their age.
“Experience, well, you pick that up in Super Rugby.
“This competition is arguably as good as any you’re going to find in the world and not far behind test rugby so if he’s handling his own in this then I’d suggest he can handle himself at the next level as well.
“It’s not really a position we specialise in when kids are at school,” Coventry says. “The days of Buck Shelford and Zinzan Brooke being specialist No 8s, we probably haven’t really created one since those two were at the forefront of the game in New Zealand.”
It seems only a matter of time before Sotutu follows in those revered footsteps.
Comments on RugbyPass
NZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
22 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
22 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
22 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
22 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
22 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
22 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to comments